The Dead of the Night
by ubicaritas
Summary: Five-O is called out to investigate a break-in at the Governor's residence.
1. Chapter 1

**THE DEAD OF THE NIGHT**

**Part One**

The sounds were subtle, quiet at first, merely background noise that didn't quite register in Danny's awareness. Gradually, however, the volume increased, and he began to take notice of his surroundings. A solitary walk along the beach had seemed like a good idea to wind down after a long day of casework, but now he was beginning to sense a threat in the normally soothing atmosphere of the shoreline.

From out of the darkness came the steadily increasing sounds of moaning: guttural noises that sent chills down the spine of the young detective. And when shadowy figures began to appear, shuffling slowly but inexorably toward him, he knew he was in real trouble. They came closer, their faces grotesque and contorted in the dim illumination from the distant street lights, twisted claw-like hands reaching for him. Danny spun around, panic rising in his chest, desperately searching for an escape route. He felt a cold and clammy touch on his arm, another on his shoulder, and the reeking, fetid odour of decay reached his nostrils. "No!" he cried out. "Get away, get back! Leave me alone!"

The chorus of moans grew louder in response, and more figures emerged from the shadows. Danny twisted frantically, unable to free himself from the clutching hands; he saw a snarling, teeth-bared mouth looming near, and to his absolute horror felt a tearing pain in his right arm. "Ahh..." he cried again. "Get off... NOOO...!"

"NOOO...!" Danny awoke with a violent start, the shout still echoing in the room and in his throat. He sat bolt upright in the bed, drawing great shuddering gulps of air and running a badly shaking hand through his hair in a desperate but ineffective attempt to calm down. Drops of cold sweat beaded on his forehead and trickled into his eyes, leaving him blinking at the stinging sensation. The nightmare had been vivid and terrifying; Danny sat for several moments, reliving the horrifying, visceral feeling of the dream, until finally his breathing slowed and the trembling eased from his hands and shoulders. Rubbing his hand over the phantom of pain still present in his right arm, Danny shook his head and took a last deep, steadying breath.

"Well, Williams, that should teach you," he said aloud, his sardonic tone sounding loud and hollow in the now quiet bedroom. "Never, EVER watch a horror movie late when you're already over-stressed from work. No matter what your date wants to do!" Attending a pre-Halloween screening of a classic zombie picture with his lady friend had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now it left him ruefully shaking his head, wondering where his better judgement had been. Padding across the hall to the bathroom, he splashed a handful of cool water onto his face and neck. With a glass of water in hand, he returned to his bedroom, congratulating himself on calming down sufficiently and feeling ready to settle back down to sleep. And promptly dropped the glass, his pulse rate suddenly racing and breath caught in his throat, when the telephone sent its abrupt, shrill summons into the silent room.

Chagrined, but with his heart still pounding and adrenaline buzzing again through his system, Danny reached for the phone. "Williams," he said, wincing in dismay at the breathless tone in his voice.

"Danno? It's Steve." If the head of Five-O noticed anything was amiss with his second-in-command, he chose not to comment, instead continuing with almost no hesitation at all. "I need you to meet me at the Governor's official residence as soon as you can be there."

"Sure, Steve, no problem." Danny was already reaching for his discarded clothing from earlier in the evening. "What's up?"

There was a brief pause before the reply came back. "There's been a break-in, and the reports would seem to indicate that the intruders were rather... unusual." Steve cleared his throat and quickly added, "Just get here, Danno, and fast. Chin and Kono are on their way as well."

"I'll be there shortly, Steve. Goodbye." The young detective dropped the receiver back into the cradle and continued getting dressed. Stepping over the fallen water glass, he picked up his badge and service weapon from the bedside table, also taking the time to strap on his second gun in its ankle holster. A moment later, fully dressed, alert, and properly armed, Danny snapped the door to his apartment closed and headed out into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**THE DEAD OF THE NIGHT**

**Part Two**

Danny eased his LTD into the driveway of the Governor's official residence, parking the car next to Steve's big Mercury. Two more Five-O cars, further up the drive, belonged to Chin Ho and Kono, and several HPD blue-and-whites bathed the scene in eerie, flashing illumination from their rooftop light units. The drive through the early morning darkness had felt strange to the young detective; shadows had seemed more prevalent than usual, all macabre shapes and fantastic angles that filled the spaces between the streetlights. More than once Danny had been convinced he had seen movement in the murky recesses along the road, only to find himself looking at fences, or low shrubbery and hedges in front of darkened houses. Shaking his head in dismay and blaming his overactive imagination on the vivid nightmare still fresh in his mind, Danny stepped out of the vehicle and headed toward the open front doors of the mansion.

"Ah, Danno, there you are. Good." The disembodied voice of the Five-O chief echoed in the entranceway before the senior detective stuck his head out of one of the many doors lining the hall. "Come in here, please," he added, gesturing for Danny to enter.

Dan stepped into a spacious, bookshelf-lined room with a large desk at one side; clearly this was the Governor's study. Just as clear was the extensive damage: chairs overturned, hardcover volumes pulled from the shelves, and most prominently, the shattered glass and frames of the large window on the far wall of the room. Kono and Chin were standing next to it, examining the debris on the floor. Steve and the pyjama and robe-clad Governor were near the desk, the latter clutching a file in his hands and rifling through it with a worried frown.

"Whew, this is quite the mess!" Danny raised his eyebrows as he surveyed the scene in front of him. "What have we got here, Steve?"

"A typical break-and-enter that is anything but typical," came the cryptic reply. At Dan's confused look, Steve continued his explanation. "Firstly, there doesn't appear to anything missing, despite the fact that there are several valuable pieces of artwork on display in this room, and some highly confidential government reports stored in the wall safe. The only motivation so far appears to be vandalism."

"Well, it looks like they did a pretty thorough job of it," Danny observed wryly, glancing around the room again.

"Yes, but that's not the really interesting part." Steve was still sounding cryptic. "Go ahead, Governor, tell Danno what you saw."

Governor Paul Jameson looked distinctly uncomfortable as he closed the file he was holding. "I heard the crash when the window was broken. I'm a light sleeper, and still wasn't really settled in when it happened," he began. "I couldn't get the house security team on the phone, so I called HPD. And then," he took a deep breath. "I came downstairs to see what was going on. I could hear the noise coming from the study, so I opened the door..." The Governor shook his head slowly before continuing. "I have never seen such an odd assortment of people in my life. Tattered, torn clothing, wild unkempt hair, and their faces...! They seemed greyish coloured, with scars and twisted expressions, and wild eyes." Jameson paused, clearly disturbed by the memory. "When they saw me, they sort of ... shuffled ... over to the window and crawled through the open frame, right over all the broken glass! By the time I got to the window and looked out, they had disappeared into the darkness," he concluded. "But I could still hear them out there, making all kinds of strange noises."

"Oh?" Danny looked curious and apprehensive at the same time. "What kind of noises, Governor?" he enquired.

"Strange noises," the Governor repeated. "Grunting, moaning sounds that just faded away after a few moments." He stared out the open window briefly before turning his focus back to the detectives. "It was not a sound I want to hear again, gentlemen. You must capture these ... hoodlums ... as quickly as you can."

"We will, Governor, you can be sure of that." Steve spoke up immediately to reassure the worried man. "And I'll also have HPD post extra security, both here and at your office. I don't think you need fear a return visit from these particular vandals."

"Zombies." In the silence following the Five-O chief's statement the low-voiced pronouncement was clearly heard from the other side of the room.

The three men turned and looked across the room. "What was that, Kono?" Steve asked. "I didn't quite catch it..."

The big Hawaiian shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny. "I said, zombies," he repeated. "Not vandals. We're talkin' 'bout da undead here, boss."

Steve's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, while the Governor frowned in annoyance. Danny schooled his features into what he hoped was a neutral expression, a small trickle of apprehension snaking its way across the back of his neck.

"I don't think we're dealing with anything ... otherworldly, Kono," Steve finally said, breaking the charged silence that hung in the wake of his detective's rather unexpected statement. "Vandals with an unusual flair for the dramatic, perhaps, but nothing more ominous than that."

Kono looked mutinous for a moment, then shook his head and turned back to the damaged windows. "Okay, boss," he muttered. "I'm just sayin' we need to be watchful. We don't want to mess wit' dem."

"Governor." Steve again spoke to reassure the older man. "We will get to the bottom of this, and soon. We'll be finished up here in a little while, and you've already given me your statement. Why don't you head back upstairs? The HPD guard will remain in the house after we've gone."

Paul Jameson took a long look around the room before replying. "All right, Steve," he said, putting down the file he had been holding and moving toward the door. "I'll leave you to your investigation. But I do expect an update later this morning."

"Of course, sir." Steve's reply was prompt. "Good night, Governor."

The Five-O chief watched as the politician exited the study, then turned his focus back to the three detectives. "Chin, Kono, since it will be light within the hour, I would like you to stay and have a complete look through the grounds. See if you can find any trace of our intruders. Danno, you can interview the security personnel and anyone else that was here in the residence tonight. Maybe one of them heard or saw something."

"Okay, boss."

"Sure, Steve."

With the replies still echoing in the room, Steve headed for the door himself. "We'll meet back in the office in a couple of hours, gentlemen," he said as he took his leave.

In the sudden quiet that followed Steve's departure, the remaining Five-O detectives blinked and looked at each other for a moment. Finally Dan broke the silence. "_Zombies_, Kono?" he queried. "You don't really believe that, do you?"

"I say we take no chances, bruddah," the big Hawaiian said firmly. "It's Halloween. Da time of da undead walking in da night."

Danny again felt the shiver twitching in his shoulders, and forced himself to smile at his friend and compatriot. "Well, what we believe is unimportant," he declared. "Steve will never accept a story of the supernatural, so we'd better get the facts and head back to the office as soon as possible."


	3. Chapter 3

**THE DEAD OF THE NIGHT**

**Part Three**

As it turned out, it was closer to five hours later that the Five-O detectives were able to reconvene. A late-morning summons from Steve brought them together in his office, where May cheerfully doled out fresh coffee to each man before retreating and closing the door behind her.

"Gentlemen." The lead detective was seated at his desk, notepad at the ready, as his slightly tired looking team entered the room. "I have a meeting with the Governor in less than an hour, so I hope you have some information for me."

Chin and Kono exchanged glances, and it was the Oriental detective who spoke up to report the results of their investigation. "We went outside to the area around the window," he began. "Sure, we found footprints, lots of them, under the window and across the grounds. Couldn't tell how many people there were, though."

"Oh?" Steve raised an eyebrow. "Why was that, Chin?"

"They was all smudged together, odd sizes and distances apart, boss." Kono broke in before Chin had a chance to reply. "Looked like some of them had been dragging their feet, leaving a trail of flattened grass behind them."

Chin looked exasperated, but he nodded in agreement at the Hawaiian's unusual description. "That's how it looked to me too, Steve," he admitted. "No clear prints. Che Fong took photos and some plaster impressions, anyway, just to check. We also found what looked like a sleeve from a jacket or heavy shirt..."

"All torn up, ragged, just like the Governor said!" Again Kono pushed forward with the explanation, interrupting Chin with his enthusiasm. "The lab has that too, looking for fingerprints from whoever," he paused dramatically. "... or _what_ever dropped it."

The Five-O chief looked nonplussed for a moment, seemingly at a loss for what to say to his detective. Finally, shaking his head, he turned his attention to the third officer in the room, who was perched in his usual spot on the corner of the desk. "Please tell me you have something a bit more concrete than smudged footprints and a sleeve," he said, a hint of exasperation showing in his tone.

"I think I might." Danny already had his notebook open and was flipping through the pages. "I was speaking to all the staff who were at the Mansion last night. The couple who are responsible for maintenance and housekeeping heard nothing, they were asleep until the police showed up and started looking around." He smirked slightly, adding "Obviously they're heavy sleepers; apparently an officer woke them up by walking into their suite and turning on the light!"

"Go on, please," Steve prompted, as Chin and Kono smiled in amusement.

"The house security detail was out on a foot patrol, which explains why they didn't answer the Governor's call." Danny paused. "Unfortunately, they were patrolling at the _front_ of the house and up the driveway, so they too didn't see or hear anything. But, one of the officers did have something interesting to report." He turned a page in his book and quickly reviewed the information before continuing. "This isn't the first break-in to match this description. There was a similar one three days ago, at the office of city Councillor Benjamin Carlton. His brother Michael is the head of the security detail for the Governor's home, and he just happened to be with Benjamin when the call came in about his office."

"Oh?" Steve leaned forward, suddenly very interested. "Another break-in? _Exactly_ like this one?"

"Apparently so," Danny confirmed, tapping the notebook. "Middle of the night, lots of damage but nothing stolen, nobody injured. And one eyewitness, a night cleaner who was in the office two doors away. He reported hearing the Councillor's door being broken down, and when he went to check, he saw a rough-looking group of people breaking things up." The detective shook his head. "They ran, or shuffled away, according to the witness."

"Not you too, Danno," Steve said in dismay. "The vandals _shuffled_ away? You're starting to sound like Kono, with his tales of the supernatural!"

"Hey!" Kono protested faintly, looking mildly outraged, while Danny shifted self-consciously and tried to quell a return of the unsettled feeling that had been lurking at the edge of his consciousness since his abrupt awakening from the nightmare not even twelve hours ago.

"I'm just reporting what the witness said," Dan said defensively. "But really, Steve, it's a bit too much of a coincidence, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes, I would tend to agree." Steve was already jotting notes on the pad in front of him. The Five-O chief frowned as he contemplated the information. "Coincidences and politicians do not sit well together, gentlemen. We need to get to the bottom of this, and fast." He stood and began to pace behind the desk, snapping his fingers in the familiar ritual of deep thought. "Chin, Kono, follow up with Che and the lab on the evidence you collected from the Governor's residence," he instructed. "There must be something they left behind that we can use to identify them."

"Sure thing, Steve," Chin replied for both of them, as he and Kono stood in preparation to leave.

"What about me, Steve?" Danny inquired.

"Danno, I want you to start by following up on that break-in at Councillor Carleton's office. Speak to that witness again, and get the cold hard facts, not a ghost story!" The lead detective fixed a stern gaze on his second-in-command. "I want this gang of vandals tracked down quickly!"

"I'll get right on it." The young detective slid off the desk, stretching slightly and taking a last gulp of his cooling coffee. "I may even do some calling around, to see if there's been trouble like this in any other public official's home or office."

"That's a good idea, Danno." Steve's scowl eased slightly, and he looked thoughtful as he too rose and reached for his jacket. "I'll be briefing the Governor shortly. Perhaps he can give me some more information now, in the clear light of day." He picked up a file and tucked his notepad inside. "We'll meet back here later and put our notes together then."

"Right." Dan headed out the door and into his cubicle. Setting his notepad and pencil on the desk, he reached for both his phone and a thick directory of government listings, and before long he was dialling a series of numbers. So intent on his conversation was he that he didn't notice when Kono stuck his head in to say goodbye, or even when Steve breezed past the door on his way out of the office. It was almost an hour later when Danny finally headed down the Palace stairs and out into the bright afternoon sunshine.


	4. Chapter 4

**THE DEAD OF THE NIGHT**

**Part Four**

Returning to the Palace many hours later, Danny wheeled his car into its familiar spot beside Steve's Mercury. As he wearily grabbed his files from the front seat, he noted the absence of the other Five-O vehicles, indicating both Kono and Chin had probably gone home for the day. Stifling a sigh, he reminded himself that Steve was waiting and headed for the steps up to the main front doors.

The fading daylight was sending shadows spreading across the Palace grounds, and Danny's skin suddenly crawled with an intense sensation that he was being watched. Whirling, he peered into the encroaching gloom, convinced he had seen movement out of the corner of his eye. But when he stopped, and looked long and hard into the shadowy darkness, he saw nothing out of sorts in the mild evening air. Shaking his head in dismay, the young detective tried again to dismiss the unease that had been lingering at the back of his mind. Working late into the night was a frequent occurrence with his position in Five-O, yet seldom had he felt this ... disconcerted ... when arriving at the Palace after dark. Entering the building quickly, Danny was almost running by the time he reached the second floor, and he forced himself to slow down and take a few deep breaths before proceeding into the Five-O offices.

"Is that you, Danno? Come on in!" Steve's voice floated out from behind the partially closed door to his inner office.

The light from the lamp on the desk was a welcome sight as it spilled out into the darkened entranceway. Danny almost sighed in relief as the completely normal atmosphere in the office went a long way towards settling his jangled nerves. "Sure, Steve, I'll be right in," he replied, swinging quickly into his cubicle to grab a fresh notebook and pen. Entering the office, he saw a series of photographs laid out on the big desk, and an open file sitting in the centre of them. The lead detective himself, jacket off and tie loosened, was standing at the window, looking out at the darkness.

"Danno. Welcome back." Steve turned and greeted his second-in-command. "You had a long afternoon out there; I hope you were able to bring back some good information for us."

The young detective nodded as he sank wearily into one of the white leather chairs in front of the desk. "I think so," he responded cautiously, tossing his own file down and running a hand slowly through his hair. He leaned forward to study the images on the desktop, frowning slightly. "Are these the photos from the Governor's house? The footprints?"

"Yes." Steve's frustration was obvious. "Nothing but a jumble of indistinct prints, as Chin said. No recognizable tread patterns." He pointed at the lab report in the folder. "Same problem with the jacket sleeve that was found. Common material and colour, hundreds of garments sold in plenty of stores, and nothing embedded in the fabric except dirt from the yard." He settled into his chair, sliding the offending papers to the side of the desk. "Now," he continued. "Tell me what you were able to find out."

"Well..." Danny hesitated slightly. "I did get quite a bit of information, Steve, but I don't think you're going to like all of it."

The lead detective eyed his second-in-command warily. "Let's just hear what you've got, and we'll go from there," he suggested.

Danny pulled his file towards him and opened it. "I spoke to the witness from the break-in at Councillor Carleton's office," he said. "He completely stands by his statement about what he saw." Flipping to another page, he became more animated as he read. "But here's where it gets interesting, Steve. I discovered there have been four other incidents over the past week! Two other Councillors, the Mayor's office, and even the constituency office of State Senator Lewis have all had break-ins involving vandalism."

"_Four_ more?" Steve sat back in shock. "The Mayor? A Senator? My God, Danno, how did this go on for a week without it making the HPD dailies, or even the press, for that matter?"

"Well..." Danny said again, looking uncomfortable. "There were no witnesses to the vandalism at the Mayor's office, just the damage and some dirt and ragged clothing left on the floor. Nothing stolen, either, according to the Mayor's executive assistant."

Steve looked ready to interrupt, but instead scribbled a quick note and gave the young detective a wave. "Go on, please."

"The two other councillors, Thomas and Lopaka, were both hit on the same night." Danny continued his recitation of the facts. "As it happens, their offices are next door to each other. There was a witness, a clerk in Thomas's office, who saw a group of rough-looking and, er, moaning, individuals smash open the door. She was able to get away through another exit, but not before she watched them start to tear up the office." He pushed the file across the desk towards Steve. "There were even some photos taken at the Mayor's office..."

"Stop." Steve shook his head in disbelief. "Moaning, rough-looking characters? _Dirt_?" He stood and began to pace, slowly and rhythmically snapping his fingers. "Are you telling me there is evidence of vandalism in six, count them, _six_ different political offices in the past week, and this is the first we're hearing about it? Why didn't this get reported, Danno?" The clicking increased, indicating Steve's rising agitation. "And, perhaps more important than that, what is the connection between these three Councillors, the Mayor, a Senator, and the Governor? There has to be one! I refuse to believe that these were just random attacks."

The silence was absolute for nearly a full minute following the Five-O chief's outburst. Finally Danny drew a deep breath, and, fingers tapping on the handwritten notes in front of him, began to speak. "I think I have answers to both questions, Steve," he said. "In actuality all the incidents were reported, but to _different_ authorities! The Senator and the Mayor both dealt with HPD, but statements were taken by different officers and their lieutenant hadn't yet received the reports to make the connection. The Councillors have a private security firm, and when I spoke to the director this afternoon he admitted that his patrol teams didn't take the break-ins too seriously. More like Halloween pranks, he thought they were. And, of course, the Governor dealt with us." Danny stopped suddenly and cocked his head. "Did you hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?" Steve raised an eyebrow.

"Downstairs, a noise." Danny half rose from his chair and leaned toward the outer office, still listening intently.

The lead detective smirked at his companion. "Kono's ghost stories still getting to you, Danno?" he inquired wryly.

Danny eased back into his seat, his expression a combination of chagrin and concern. "I'm sure I heard something, Steve, but it's quiet now." He returned his attention to the briefing. "Now, where was I?" he wondered aloud.

"The link connecting all the attacks..." Steve prompted.

"Right! The link..." Danny hesitated, then carried on. "The one thing I was able to identify as common to all the break-in victims is that they all attended a meeting last week, hosted by the Governor. It was a tri-level committee put together to approve of and control the development of a package of land immediately adjacent to the Oahu Cemetery. Their initial decision was to, uh, infringe slightly onto Cemetery property to begin this development." Danny closed the file and forced himself to look up at Steve. "The zombie vandal attacks began the next day, and continued until the Governor became the final victim last night."

Steve sat back in bemused contemplation. "Are you trying to tell me that vengeful zombies are out to protect the Cemetery?" He shook his head in disbelief. "I'll take Halloween vandalism over that theory, Danno!"

"It does fit, though, Steve!" Danny protested. He opened his mouth to continue, but was interrupted by a low thrum of activity that suddenly drifted in through the open lanai doors.

This time there was no mistaking the sound that came from below them, a deep, muffled thump of the giant wooden doors being forced open and swinging to hit the walls. Both men were instantly on their feet, listening intently as the noise grew louder and closer. The echo of many footfalls, the eerie groaning... the din filled the stairway and the corridor.

Then suddenly, terrifyingly, it was in the office, a surging wave of filthy decaying bodies pouring through the broken frame of the outer door. Despite the fact that they seemed to be merely shuffling, their motion was surprisingly quick; they were through and past May's desk before the two detectives had a chance to react.

"Freeze!" Both men had drawn their sidearms, but it was Steve who shouted the command. It had no effect; the mob's forward momentum continued. Exchanging a quick glance, Steve and Danny raised their weapons and fired at the figures in front of them.

The lead zombie jerked back slightly, stumbling as the force of the bullet striking its shoulder knocked it temporarily off balance. Others behind it staggered in similar fashion, as they too were struck by rounds from both weapons. In the end, however, the effect was negligible, as the steady flow of the invaders into the inner office continued.

Danny both heard and felt the ominous _click_ indicating he was out of ammunition; the weapon in his hand was now useless. He saw Steve throw a desperate glance at the desk, where there were more rounds stored, but there was no way either man could reach them. He bent and grabbed the second gun he carried from its ankle holster; stepping in front of Steve and firing again at the advancing zombies, he was grimly aware that they were being driven back further into the office. When the little revolver spat its last bullet, Danny threw it aside and grabbed Steve's arm, dragging him back towards the lanai in a quick burst of speed.

Closing the lanai doors behind them gained them precious little time, however, as the horde of zombies simply pushed their way through, the wood and glass splintering under the onslaught. Steve and Danny backed up together, each man painfully aware that they were trapped, with no easy escape. Relentlessly the creatures approached, arms reaching out and mouths opening in wide, menacing grins. The rank stench of death filled the air; Danny could almost taste the decay.

They lunged, suddenly; claw-like hands hands reached out and grabbed the detectives, with a grip that was surprisingly strong. Danny twisted and tried to pull away, throwing his arms up to try to protect himself, but there were too many hands, too many pressing bodies. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Steve engaged in the same struggle, and then to his horror, he saw the Five-O chief go down, overwhelmed and immediately swarmed by a crush of the monsters as they moved in on the fallen man.

"NO!" he cried. "Steve!" He fought harder, pushing against the mob; although he managed to knock aside a couple of the grasping claws, they were quickly replaced by others. In an echo of the nightmare still fresh in his mind, Danny felt the tearing pain of teeth ripping into his flesh. His shoulder and arm suddenly felt warm with the wash of blood. Dimly he became aware of the presence of the lanai wall at his back, the railing digging into his side even as another fetid mouth lacerated his leg.

"Steve!" he shouted again, desperately trying to locate the older man. In his struggles against the attackers Danny could hear only the rattling moans, and feel nothing but the press of decrepit bodies against his own. Fighting blindly, he pushed hard against the nearest figure, and in a horrid moment of realization felt himself overbalance at the lanai's edge. His momentum carried him up and over the railing; for an instant he seemed to waver, hovering almost in midair. Then he fell; peripherally he heard the creatures groan as he tumbled out of their grasp. The ground reached up to meet him in a dizzying rush.

"NOOOO..." The desperate cry was wrenched from deep within him. Arms flailing, body twisting, Danny plummeted through the air...

... and landed with a resounding, jarring _thud_ on his bedroom floor, the sound of his terrified scream still echoing in his throat and off the walls.

"NOOOO..." he cried out. "Get off! Get away...!" Hopelessly tangled in the bedclothes, Danny struggled to free himself, lashing out blindly to try to get loose.

"Easy, easy..."

The familiar voice was distant at first, but finally penetrated the fog of panic and confusion enveloping the young detective.

"Easy, Danno, I've got you. You're all right, you're safe." The calm tones of Five-O's chief continued to soothe and steady his second-in-command.

"Steve?" Danny gasped in disbelief, trying and not entirely succeeding to slow his panting breaths. "Is that you? You're okay?"

"Yes, Danno, I'm here," Steve replied. "Hold still for a moment, and I'll get you untangled from your sheets." He gave Danny a quick, reassuring pat on the shoulder, and and set about unwrapping him from the twisted bedding. That complete, he slid a supporting hand under the younger man's elbow and eased his still-dazed companion back up onto the bed.

Danny simply sat for a moment, his heart feeling like it was trying to thump out of his chest, his breath catching in his throat. Finally he ran a trembling hand through his hair, wincing at the feel of the cold sweat dampening his curls.

"Here, drink this."

Dan felt a gentle nudge to his shoulder, and looked up to see Steve standing beside him, proffering a glass of water. He raised a still-shaky hand to grasp it, and took a couple of quick gulps of the cool liquid, coughing slightly as it slid down his dry, tight throat. "Thanks," he muttered self-consciously, suddenly becoming aware of the awkwardness of the moment.

Steve eased himself down to perch on the end of the bed, eyeing his second-in-command with concern. "How are you feeling now?" he enquired. "That certainly seems to have been some nightmare you were having!"

Danny shook his head in disbelief. "You have no idea," he said, flinching slightly as faint shudders continued to wrack his shoulders. He rubbed a hand up and down his arm, still amazed to feel the skin unbroken and only a faint tingle of phantom pain remaining. "No idea," he repeated. "It was so incredibly real, Steve! At the end of it, I thought you were dead! And I was falling..." He trailed off, turning to stare blankly at the darkness outside the window for a moment. Abruptly his focus sharpened, and he swung his gaze back to the Five-O chief. "You're here, in my apartment," he observed. "_Why_ are you here, and how...?"

"I was concerned when you didn't answer your phone," Steve said. At Danny's puzzled look he continued his explanation. "I tried to call you almost an hour ago, Danno. When there was no answer after a couple of attempts I decided to come by and make sure you were okay. I could hear you yelling from out in the corridor, so I used my spare key to get in." He shrugged lightly, adding, "Your apartment is almost on the way, in any case, so we haven't lost much time in getting there."

"I see." Danny nodded thoughtfully. "I'm sorry to have worried you, with just a nightmare, of all things!" He gave Steve a deprecatory half smile. "I guess that will teach me to watch a horror movie late at night!" A sudden thought occurred to him as the rest of the older man's statement registered in his mind. "Er, lost much time in getting _where_, Steve?"

"Dispatch got an incident call just over an hour ago," came the reply. "There's been a break-in at the Governor's residence, and he wants us to investigate..."

**Pau**


End file.
